Destiny
by kristii
Summary: December 2002: the timestream has shifted. Hino Rei, now in her twenties, is summoned back to Tokyo for one last call to duty. She is offered two choices: save her husband, or preserve her princess. Whatever her choice, she will have to destroy the other.
1. Prologue

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Destiny, by Kristii

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This story is based loosely on an idea from _Ayashi no Ceres_--that 

Hino Rei and Mars are, in fact, totally separate entities, who just 

happen to be sharing a body. 

And like Aya and Ceres (or two people sharing rooms/lockers/just about 

anything...), there's just one little problem with this arrangement:

what happens when Mars' duty and Rei's desires point in separate 

directions? 

Comments? Drop me a note: aznvballgurl@yahoo.com ^^ 

Sailor Mars and affiliated characters (c) Naoko Takeuchi

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_So this is it: the final battle. _

_ God, how bitter this shall make our victory..._

_ I can't ask this of Mars, I can't--not now, of all times. I _

_can't ask her to break one set of vows for another--not now, when I _

_have seen the horrors that will befall her; not now, when I know so _

_well that it will break her... _

_ She has been out of a fuku for seven years, God--seven years! _

_I cannot make this her first call to duty since that day she left us _

_for America. For seven years, she has lived free of that curse called_

_duty--entered Harvard, gotten married, assumed control over the _

_conglomerate that is her mother's last legacy; now, after seven years _

_of bliss, I must shatter her world, bring her back from the illusions _

_of normalcy… _

_ God... What a bitter irony: I still can't believe it. The _

_"champions of love and justice" must, in this last crucial moment, _

_abandon all pretenses and play dirty to preserve humanity..._

_ I'm so sorry, Mars. I'm sorry. I wish there was some way to _

_prevent this, but... all the powers of Pluto cannot change the course _

_of destiny; all the wealth of your mother's company cannot buy a _

_different future. This is Fate, Mars--the three sisters, jealous. You _

_should have known from the beginning that the Senshi must live _

_lonely; trying to cheat your destiny would only bring their wrath _

_upon you, with a vengeance..._

_ So this is it, Mars: the last battle--your battle._

_ I'm sorry, Mars, I'm sorry... _

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	2. Chapter One: Fate

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Destiny, by Kristii

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Chapter one – a bit disjointed, but hopefully enough to set

the scene. If anything's unclear, drop me a note and I'll try to

explain it asap… Enjoy!! ^^

Sailor Mars and affiliated characters (c) Naoko Takeuchi

Comments? Write me: aznvballgurl@yahoo.com 

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The summons came, last night.  

It was morning, really; two hours past midnight, Eastern 

Standard Time. Rei's communicator, silent for so long, had burst 

suddenly into its emergency signal, slicing relentlessly through her 

dreams...

Rei had yawned at first, snuggling closer to her husband and 

ignored the urgent beeping; she groggily slapped at the alarm 

clock twice, hitting snooze each time, wondering dimly why the noise 

wasn't fading...

It was perhaps three minutes before Rei finally opened her eyes and 

saw the bright red 2:09 AM flashing on her alarm clock--2:09 AM, five 

hours before she would normally wake. The noise was not her alarm, then, but--

_The communicator!_

She was up in an instant, grabbing the watch and flicking 

the cover up, hoping to God that it was more than Chibi-Usa 

accidentally returning to play with Serena's "pretty watch." "Hello?"

"Mars." The screen, broken sometime since its last use, 

flickered dimly with static; Pluto's voice came over the line, soft and 

loaded with worry. "Get to Tokyo – _now_."

"What?" Rei stared at the blank screen, startled, as if it 

could offer some rationale for Pluto's words. "It's 2:10 in the 

morning, Setsuna. What's wrong?"

"A lot." Pluto's voice was quiet--dangerously so. "We're 

having an emergency meeting, Mars, and you need to be here. There's 

no time to find a flight – you'll have to teleport." 

And then, on that, the line went dead. 

Rei stared at the communicator for a second, then sighed, 

grabbed a robe, and left for Tokyo. 

----------

The others were already gathered in Serena's apartment when 

Rei arrived, worried looks on each of their faces. It was obvious that

they already knew what was going on, and all had been visibly shaken 

by it...

"Mars." Setsuna stepped toward the girl, her eyes unreadable. 

"Sit down; we have a problem." 

"I noticed." Rei gestured toward the coffee table, trying to 

ease the tension. "A perfectly good box of chocolate is lying right 

there--and Serena's not stuffing her face? Something has got to be 

up!"

Setsuna's lips tightened; she was far too tense for light 

humor. "This isn't the time, Mars. Crystal Tokyo is in danger."

Rei looked at the others then, finally. Mina and Mako were 

sitting on the floor, their eyes worried, Ami scrunched between them; 

Haruka and Michiru were on the couch, holding each other's hands and 

Hotaru. Serena was in Darien's arms, her face frightened, refusing to 

meet Rei's gaze...

"What is it?" She was afraid, suddenly; scared of whatever the 

others were hiding. "What's going on, Pluto?"

Setsuna was quiet for a moment. "The timestream has shifted,"

she said finally. Serena began to cry at her words; Pluto shot her a 

look, and to Rei's surprise, her sobs subsided. "The future has changed,"

Setsuna continued. "Once, Jadeite was to return and put the world 

into a deep freeze; you were to guard the sleeping Serenity, and wake

her on the eve of the thirtieth century..." 

Rei nodded, and Pluto looked away. "That will not happen. A 

new force has arisen--the remains of the Negaverse, as it is. It has 

taken the body of a young woman, and it wants power; but it cannot 

strike as of yet--

"For it needs power, Mars, power. Right now, it has plans, but no 

strength to put them into action. And this is where you must come in, 

Mars..." 

She understood, then, what had happened. "Jadeite is still 

returning, isn't he?" She asked softly, her stomach suddenly clenching 

with a deep sense of foreboding. He's still coming back, but...there's no evil to 

possess him now. He'll be good--unless this creature gets its hands on

him, in which case..."

"Yes." Pluto nodded. "If Jadeite falls to the darkness, even 

the Senshi may not be able to stop him. We have to prevent the 

darkness from seducing him, Mars, and there is only one way to do that..." 

Serena began to cry again; this time, Setsuna made no move to

check her. Rei looked at her princess, then at Pluto, then the others, knowing 

full well what they were asking, yet unable to bring herself to do it...

"Please, Rei." Pluto looked away, her voice very quiet. The 

younger girl was surprised by her words; ever on duty, Pluto had not 

called her by that name in a long time... "I know how much you have to

lose; I'm sorry, really. If I could change the timestream instead of 

foretell it, Rei, I'd never let this happen to you..." 

When Rei said nothing, Pluto pressed on, her voice gentle. "I

won't force you, Rei. The choice is yours to make; I won't press you 

into anything you don't want--"

"No," Rei said softly, looking straight into Pluto's eyes. 

"You know as well as I that there is but one choice, Pluto." She 

sighed, closing her eyes in defeat as she spoke. "I--I'll do it, 

Pluto... I'll do it..."

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	3. Chapter Two: Fall

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Destiny, by Kristii

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Chapter two... does anyone actually read this?? I'd love some comments 

from you all about what you think I'm doing right/wrong... 

comments -- aznvballgurl@yahoo.com

Sailor Mars and affiliated characters (c) Naoko Takeuchi

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It was not quite dawn when Rei finally returned home to 

Potomac, half the world away from Serena's Tokyo apartment. Her 

husband had not woken yet when she entered the bedroom; Rei stood at 

his side a long time, watching him as he slept, oblivious to the 

promise she had just made Serena... 

_God, Kyle, I'm so sorry._ His face was more relaxed than she 

had seen it for a long time, as innocent as a child's, so peaceful... 

Standing there, watching him, Rei could not stand the thought of the 

pain she would bring to that calm face the next morning. _Damn you, _

_Serena--damn you for dragging him into this. Is it not enough that _

_Hino Rei must fall to Mars for eternity? Why do you want him, too, as _

_your sacrifice?_

And then, finally, a few minutes before his alarm clock would 

start ringing, Rei scribbled a note telling him she had left early for

a doctor's appointment, then left silently for her lawyer's. 

----------

It was ten by the time Rei arrived at the office, armed with 

the folder her attorney had provided. Kyle's secretary was out when 

she entered the antechamber to his suite; taking a deep breath to 

steady her nerves, she went straight toward the double doors leading 

to his office, then rapped lightly on the door.

                A few moments passed, and there was no answer. A small wave of

apprehension rose up in Rei's throat, joining the anxiety that had been lodged 

there since the Senshi's meeting. _How odd – I know Kyle's in today. _After a 

moment's hesitation, she knocked once more, then gently pushed open the

door -- 

                 -- and froze, stunned at the scene before her: 

Kyle was doubled over beside his desk, his body curled up in a 

ball of agony. The thick white carpet was soaked with blood where he 

had thrown up; he was gasping into a cell phone lying by the bloody 

mess, his voice frantic: "Please... help me..." 

The folder dropped from Rei's hands, its contents spilling out

haphazardly. She ran to her husband's side, forgetting Pluto's words, 

forgetting Serenity; all she could think of was Kyle's pale, 

sweat-drenched face; his terrified eyes, filled with agony... "Oh, my 

God, Kyle! What happened?" 

"Reiko.." Kyle tried to reach out as the girl dropped to her 

knees beside him, then clamped his arm back against his stomach as a 

fresh wave of pain hit him. "Rei... help me… please…"

"Shh..." Rei took her husband in her arms and eased his head 

onto her lap, letting him take her left hand as her right grabbed the 

cell phone. "Hello?"

A woman was on the line, her voice concerned. "Sir?" she 

asked, "Sir? Can you tell me what's wrong?"

_So Kyle had called 911..._ "This is Rei Hino, at the 

Blackwell and Sons building: 1422 Sunrise Valley Blvd." Kyle moaned 

and clutched at her fingers; Rei scrunched the phone between her ear 

and shoulder, wiping his brow with her now-free hand. "Shh... it's 

okay, just calm down... Shh..." 

The 911 dispatcher was confused for a moment, but she quickly 

realized what was going on. "What happened, miss? Is someone hurt? Can 

you describe their symptoms for me?" 

"Yes." Rei stroked Kyle's hair as he whimpered softly, biting 

down hard on his lip. "Kyle, what happened? Can you tell me what 

happened?" 

Kyle tried to speak, but moaned instead, his arms tightening 

around his stomach. "I dunno... hurts..." 

"I know, shh... I know..." Rei held Kyle tighter as he moaned, 

his face going paler as he threw up again. "Shh... it's okay..." She 

spoke hurriedly to the operator, still trying to calm her husband: 

"He's conscious, but his stomach is hurting. He's vomiting a lot; 

there's--there's blood in it, a lot of blood..." 

"It sounds like your patient's having some sort of internal 

hemorrhaging." The woman sounded alarmed as she heard Rei's 

description. "Does he have any history of stomach ulcers?" 

"I--I don't think so." 

"I see... Well, the ambulance is on its way, miss." The 

dispatcher paused for a moment, then hurriedly added: "Just try to 

keep the patient as comfortable as you can, okay? Don't give him any 

food or liquids--no medication either." 

"Thanks." Rei snapped the phone shut and turned to her 

husband, trying to soothe him. "They're sending an ambulance, Kyle. 

Don't be scared... you'll be okay..."

"Rei..." Kyle was whimpering, struggling to breathe normally, 

his body tensing further as each wave of pain hit him. The agony must 

have been excruciating; Kyle's brow was drenched in cold sweat again, 

though Rei had wiped it barely seconds before. "Reiko... help..." 

But she could do no more than hold him, rubbing his back and 

trying to comfort him with her words. "Shh... it's okay, Kyle," Rei 

said softly, realizing how empty her words were against his pain. "Just

relax, breathe... The ambulance will be here any time now. We'll get 

you to the hospital real quick--don't be scared, you'll be okay..." 

Her words were not enough, however; Kyle's fear and pain were 

increasing by the second even as Rei spoke. "Reiko..." He moaned 

again, clinging harder to her hand. "It hurts... Rei... hurts..." 

Rei lowered her head so it was by Kyle's, pressing her face 

to his cheek. "Shh... shh... The ambulance is coming, Kyle, don't 

worry..." Even as she spoke, she heard the faint wail of sirens, 

forty-nine stories below them. "You hear that, Kyle? That's the 

ambulance, they're here now. We're going to get you to the hospital, 

and they'll help--"

Kyle cried out softly, cutting her words off. He pressed his 

hands to his abdomen, bringing Rei's hands with them; she could 

only watch, helpless, as his whole body tightened with pain. "Rei..." 

He started to retch again, and at that very moment, two paramedics 

burst through the doors. The entire board of directors trailed behind 

them, their faces confused and alarmed...

The paramedics tried to lift Kyle onto the gurney; he 

whimpered and clung tightly to Rei's hand. "Reiko... stay..." 

The medics looked at Kyle's terrified face, then at Rei, and 

made a decision. "You wanna come with us?" One asked, his eyes 

softening. "Looks like he won't come without you." 

Pluto's voice sprung into her mind, then, stern and 

commanding; Kyle's pleading eyes, however, were more than enough to 

drive any thoughts of the Time Senshi away. "Yes," Rei said softly, 

looking down at her husband. "Let's go..." 

                       ----------

The ride to the hospital was terrible; Kyle's pale face went 

whiter each time the ambulance sped over a pothole, and he was barely 

conscious by the time it finally arrived at Fairfax General. Two 

doctors, one his personal physician, met the gurney at the door to the 

ER; they took one look at Kyle and whisked him off to surgery, leaving

Rei alone to wait in silence... 

It was nearly four hours before Kyle finally came out of the 

operating room; A tall doctor, his dark hair brushed with gray, pulled 

Rei aside for a moment as she sat along in the waiting room. "Miss 

Hino? I'm Dr. John Lynch." He sat down beside her, his voice gentle. 

"I'm the physician in charge of Mr. Kennedy's case."

"Oh--" Rei turned toward the doctor, her eyes inquisitive. "Dr.

Lynch? How is he?" 

"Not so good," Dr. Lynch said quietly. "Miss Hino, has your 

husband ever complained of any stomach pains? Vomiting? An ulcer, 

perhaps?"

"No... why?"

The doctor hesitated for a moment before answering. "As you 

probably realized, Mr. Kennedy suffered a hemorrhage in his 

gastrointestinal tract."

"Yes..." 

"Well... The hemorrhaging itself was not a big problem; we've 

taken care of that already, but..." Dr. Lynch looked down at the 

young woman before him, his eyes gentle. "The bleeding was caused by a 

growth in Mr. Kennedy's stomach lining, just below his esophagus. We did some 

exploratory surgery, and..." He paused for a moment, unsure of how to 

break the news. "We found an advanced case of gastric carcinoma." 

"What--" Instinctively, Rei felt her stomach tightening; her 

sixth sense, dormant in the long years since her last stint as Mars, 

suddenly sprang into action, screaming trouble: "What's that?" 

"Stomach cancer."

"What?!" Rei's mouth dropped open; she stared at the doctor, 

too stunned to speak. "But--he's so young," she whispered finally, 

unable to absorb the blow. "He's only 28--I thought--you had to be 

much older--"

"I know." The doctor looked concerned as he took in Rei's pale

face. "The cancer's very rare in someone his age, but it still does 

occur, even if not it's not very common..."

"Oh..." Rei stared down at the smooth white tile below her 

feet, tracing the patterns with her gaze; anything, to distract from the 

doctor's words and keep back her tears. "Will--what kind of treatment 

will he need? Surgery? Chemotherapy?"

"No." Doctor Lynch shook his head gently. "It's too late for 

that, Miss Hino. If we'd found the cancer earlier, maybe, but now... 

There's already been significant spreading, and there's really no way 

to cure--"

"What?!" _Breathe, Reiko, Breathe! _Somehow, Rei found her 

voice again: "How--how long does he have, then?" 

"Hard to say." The doctor thought for a moment, shaking his 

head. "With proper care, I'd say three, maybe four months--five, even, 

if he's lucky..." 

"Oh, God..." _Four months, Rei, you heard him; four months. _

_Kyle has four fucking months left to live, and you--you're going to do_

_what to him? _"But--isn't there anything you can do?" 

Dr. Lynch shook his head, his eyes dark. "I wish there was, 

Miss Hino. But eighty percent of stomach cancer patients can't be 

cured, and when you have a case this advanced, well..." 

"Oh..." Rei closed her eyes for a moment, silently damning Mars 

and Serenity to hell forever. "I--Can I see him?" 

"Of course." Dr. Lynch stood, and Rei followed him toward the 

elevator. "He won't be awake for a while, Miss Hino, but you're 

welcome to sit with him until he does. Just don't wear him out--he's 

going to need a lot of strength right now." 

"I know." 

The two reached the third floor in silence, and Dr. Lynch 

flashed a sympathetic smile as he paused by Kyle's door. "I've got to 

go, Miss Hino, but I'll be back later to check on Kyle, okay?" 

"Sure." Rei watched as the doctor hurried away, then turned 

toward the room, gently opening the closed door...

"PLUTO?!" 

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	4. Chapter Three: Hell

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Destiny, by Kristii

--------------------------

Chapter three ~ sorry about the delay; enjoy! ^^

Thanks to everyone who's given me feedback – I really

really do appreciate it!! ^^ If you have any more comments, just 

drop me a note or email me at aznvballgurl@yahoo.com ^^ 

Sailor Mars and affiliated characters (c) Naoko Takeuchi

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Mars." Dressed in street clothes, but regal nonetheless, 

Setsuna rose and moved toward the younger woman as she stood, frozen, 

in the doorway. "You left this." She held out a thin manila folder--the

same folder Rei had received just that morning from her lawyer. 

"I--I know." Rei took the folder slowly, knowing too well what 

it contained. "Setsuna, I--can't I wait?" She glanced at her husband, 

sleeping off the anesthesia in the narrow hospital bed, unable to 

contain herself. "He has four months left, Setsuna. Can't we just let 

him go peacefully?" 

"Mars." Pluto gestured toward the chair by the bed, and Rei sat

down numbly, her eyes never leaving the older woman's face. "I know 

this is hard," she said softly. "I didn't expect anything like this to 

happen; I know how tough this makes things for you now, but..." Pluto 

shrugged slightly. "The dark forces won't wait, and neither will 

Jadeite. It's not in my power to delay his return or prevent its plans 

of acquisition--"

"Dammit!" _God, Rei, you know she's right... but you can't do _

_this to him, not now; not like this, dammit!_ "Setsuna, I can't do 

this, I can't! It's too cruel; I can't make him face this alone--" 

"You can," Pluto said softly. "It's a terrible thing, Mars, I 

know, but... If you save him, you are damning humanity--and your 

Princess--forever..." 

"I--" There was no way to counter that, nothing. "Setsuna--"

"I'm sorry, Mars." To Rei's surprise, Setsuna stepped forward 

and hugged her; Even in the days of the Silver Millennium, she had 

never seen the Time Senshi show this much emotion before. "I know how 

hard this must be, but you've got no choice; you know it, I know it. It 

hasn't been your choice for centuries now, not since you first put your

name to that oath in the Silver Millennium..." 

"I know..." Rei closed her eyes, sighing. _She's right, Rei... _

_Mars comes before Rei; you've known that forever--why can't you accept _

_it now?_ "I know..." 

"Good," Pluto said quietly, releasing her embrace. The flash of

emotion was gone; Setsuna Meiou had retreated back into the shell of 

the Time Senshi as quickly as she had come. "It must be done by 

tonight, Mars." Her voice was flat again as she strode toward the door:

"Report to me as soon as you are finished; Jadeite, I believe, is 

scheduled to return any day now." 

And then she was gone, the door closing silently; leaving Rei 

alone with her husband, and her conscience.

---------

Rei sat alone at her husband's bedside long after Pluto had 

left her, holding his hand and wishing to God that she'd never known 

Serenity. He looked so pale, so ill; she could not bear to imagine the 

look on his face when she broke the news to him. _Sleep, Kyle, sleep..._

_There's nothing for you when you wake, save misery..._

It was nearly five hours later when Kyle finally woke, 

struggling to recognize his surroundings as he glanced around him. 

"Reiko?" He tried to smile, but winced instead, his hand going gingerly 

to his stomach. "What happened?" 

"Kyle!" It took all of Rei's willpower to keep from bursting 

into tears right then, falling into her husband's arms and confessing 

everything. "You--you collapsed at work this morning. How are you 

feeling?" 

"Okay..." Kyle studied Rei's face for a moment, his eyes 

inquisitive. "What's wrong, Rei? You look like you've been crying." 

"I--" _Oh, shit, Rei. Don't break down, not now--there's too _

_much at stake for you to give in to emotion..._ "I'm okay." Rei stood 

hurriedly, forcing a smile that only she knew was fake. "I should go 

get Dr. Lynch, Kyle. He wanted to see you as soon as you were awake..." 

"Wait, Rei--"

But Rei had already hurried out the door, unable to face her 

husband any longer. 

----------

Dr. Lynch smiled sympathetically as he came out of Kyle's room 

a few minutes later. "I told him," he said softly, his voice resigned. 

"He's pretty shaken up right now; try to calm him down a little, will 

you? I know it's hard for you too, but try to be strong for him..." 

"I--of course." _I can only be strong for one person, _

_Doctor--Kyle, or Serenity._ Rei took a deep breath and pushed opened 

the door to Kyle's room, her fingers tightening involuntarily on the 

folder...

"Reiko?" Kyle looked up as the girl entered the room, and 

her heart broke as she saw the bleak look in his eyes. "Dr. Lynch, he 

said--" He broke off, unable to continue. "I--it's cancer, Rei." Kyle 

closed his eyes for a moment, trying to steady his voice. "He 

said--four months..." 

_Oh, God, Kyle... don't do this..._ "I know," Rei said softly, 

sitting down at her husband's side. "I know, Kyle, I--"

"Four fucking months," Kyle said softly, looking away. "God, 

I'm sorry, Reiko. This--this is just--dammit!" He stopped for a moment, 

and the anger faded from his voice. "I'm sorry, Rei. You're too young 

to be a widow…" 

_And you're too young to die..._ "Kyle?" Rei stared down at the 

papers in her hand, unable to meet her husband's gaze. "I--I know this 

is a bad time, Kyle, but.." _Oh, God, Reiko, you have to say it... _

_Remember your oath; remember Serenity..._ "Can I ask you a favor?" 

"Hmm?" Kyle looked surprised for a moment, but nodded. "Of

course, Rei. What is it?" 

"I--" _Come on, Reiko! Crystal Tokyo is at stake here--just DO _

_it! _"I--" Rei took a deep breath, forcing herself to look into Kyle's 

eyes:

"I want a divorce..." 

There was a very long moment of silence; Kyle drew in a 

sharp breath, his face draining of color as he stared at the girl 

beside him. "Rei, what--" His eyes went wide as she looked down, 

stunned at the realization that she wasn't kidding. "Wait, Reiko-- 

what--what are you saying?"

"I have everything ready," Rei said softly, holding out the 

folder. "You just need to sign, and we'll be done..." 

"Oh, my God..." Kyle looked like he was going to be sick; he 

pushed himself up to a sitting position, his voice shaky: "Rei… why?!" 

"I--" _Because of Mars, Kyle... because of Mars... because Mars_

_will always supercede Hino Rei..._ "It's complicated, Kyle. I didn't 

want to break it to you like this, but..." 

"Oh, God…" Kyle was struggling to keep his composure, his 

eyes huge with stunned horror as he tried desperately to meet his wife's 

gaze. "Please – don't do this now – please? I can't -- I can't face this alone, 

Reiko. Just four more months... Four more months, and you have all the 

time in the world to do whatever you want. Just don't leave now; I--I 

can't--" 

"Kyle... Please?" 

"Rei..." Kyle bit his lip, a shadow passing over his face. "Why? 

Is there another man?" 

"I--" _Oh, God, Kyle... No... I've never loved a man as much as_

_I love you--not Jadeite, not Darien, not anyone..._ "Kyle, no; don't do 

this..." 

"Oh, God..." Kyle buried his face in his hands; the light had 

gone out of his eyes when he finally looked up again. "I understand," 

he said quietly, his voice so low Rei could barely hear his words. 

"You--you don't deserve this. I can't give you anything but pain, 

Reiko. If--if he makes you happy, I..." He voice was wavering as he 

forced out the words. "I'm – I'm dying anyway. It's better if you just 

forget about me..." 

"Kyle--" 

"Where do I sign?" 

_Oh, God, my poor baby..._ Unable to look into his eyes, Rei 

handed Kyle the papers and fished a pen out of her purse. "Here..." 

Kyle stared down at the blank "Sign here" line for a moment, 

his eyes straying to the neat "Hino Rei" scrawled above it. Then, in 

one quick motion, he scribbled his name across the clean white paper 

and thrust the document back at her, the pen dropping from his fingers.

"Take it," he said softly, swallowing hard. "Be--be happy..." 

"Kyle..." _Oh, God, Reiko..._ There were tears in Kyle's eyes;

Rei had never seen him cry before. "I--I'm sorry, Kyle." _There's _

_nothing left to say, is there, Reiko? You've just forfeited your right _

_to ever speak to this man again..._ "I have to go." She jammed the 

papers back into the folder and stood hurriedly, not sure if she could 

keep her own tears back much longer. "Feel better..." 

And then she turned and almost ran out the door, unable to keep 

up the façade any longer. _There, Pluto. I did it. Crystal Tokyo is _

_safe now... are you happy? Your world is safe, and his is shattered... _

_are you happy now?_

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	5. Chapter Four: Janus

--------------------------

Destiny, by Kristii

--------------------------

Janus, the Roman god of doorways, is usually sculpted with two

faces – one to see the future, and one to see the past.

And while Pluto is the only Senshi to share Janus's power of sight,

every Senshi is, in a sense, a sort of Janus. Like him, they carry two

faces: that of their planet, and that of themselves.

As Rei discovers, however, only one face can be dominant at a time –

and when Mars takes over, Hino Rei can only watch helplessly as her

alter ego controls their shared body… even if she doesn't like Mars'

actions.

Comments? Write me aznvballgurlyahoo.com

Sailor Mars and all affiliated characters (c) Naoko Takeuchi

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The Earth General returned two days later.

Rei was reviewing a contract with the Air Force when she heard

someone enter her office. "Gimme a sec, Brad," she said automatically,

not bothering to take her eyes off the papers as she addressed her

vice president. "I'm almost done--"

"As you wish, Lady Mars."

That got her attention. Rei jumped up, tossing the contract

down, horrified. "Brad--what the HELL did you just--"

And then she saw him: the High General Jadeite, Endymion's

former commander of strategic affairs, looking mighty uncomfortable in

a sleek Armani suit that must have cost Serena a small fortune. _How did he _

_get past security? Setsuna must have arranged it… _He was standing in

front of Rei's desk, and when he saw her jump up, he hurriedly knelt down.

"Lady Mars, I'm sorry to have disturbed you, but... Her Majesty Princess

Serenity has sent me to ask for your forgiveness..."

"Rise." Jadeite stood up, and Rei ran to him, pushing all

thoughts of Kyle from her mind. _Remember how Serena begged you, Rei. _

_Don't let her down! _"Jadeite... God... I never thought I'd see you

again..."

Jadeite smiled, relieved, as the girl looked up at him. "I

take it that you do forgive me, Lady Mars?"

_Hell no -- I never forgive a betrayal_. The words shot through her

Mind, but Rei managed a small laugh instead, forcing a bit of lightness into

her tone. "What do you think?"

Jadeite smiled shyly, and the two stood silently for a moment,

holding each other tight. "Lady Mars?" Jadeite asked suddenly, his

voice nervous. "I--um--oh God... Um, Lady Mars--"

"Complete sentences, please?" Rei teased, and Jadeite turned

red.

"I--um... Lady Mars... I don't know if you remember, but... In

the Silver Millennium, we were... um... engaged..." Jadeite was

getting redder with each word. He looked so incredibly embarrassed,

like a little kid kissing a girl for the first time, and Rei had to

smile.

"Of course I remember." _We were engaged. You left for Earth_

_ two days later and the next_ _time I saw you, you killed me._ "It was Serenity's

sixteenth birthday. There was a ball – we went together, and when the band

was playing the last waltz, you led me out to the gardens, and you told me

that you were leaving...

"You asked me if I would agree to marry you when you returned.

You told me it would give you hope… I agreed, and you kissed me; I gave

myself to you there for the first time, under the stars..."

Jadeite nodded, his eyes serious. "Lady Mars... I was

wondering... I know it's been a long time, and I've made mistakes,

but... I wanted to know if you'll still--I mean, you don't have to,

but--I was wondering..."

"Will I honor the vow I made that night?" Rei asked softly.

Jadeite nodded. "Yes. Lady Mars... I wish to know if you still

honor the vow..."

"The vow..."_Hell no,, traitor. Never..._ Rei closed her eyes

and pressed her head against Jadeite's chest. "The vow I made... the

one where I swore to be yours for eternity, the vow we sealed with a

kiss by the lilies, the roses, the sign of Mars?"

Jadeite nodded. "Yes, Lady Mars... That vow."

Rei opened her eyes and looked up at Jadeite. "I--I haven't

exactly stuck to it," she said quietly. "I've been engaged--married--it

didn't mean anything, but..."

Jadeite shook his head. "I don't care, Lady Mars... Will

you--will you still--"

Rei smiled. _This is it, Rei… The ultimate test… The future rides on _

_the convincingness of your answer…_ "Lady Mars will do nothing, Jadeite."

_ What was that name he used to call me? That nickname... what was it?_

"_Lady Rei_, however, is willing to honor her promise..."

Jadeite laughed, picked Rei up, and spun her around, his eyes

full of happiness. "Jadeite! Put me down!" she laughed, and he whirled

her around again, faster...

That was when Rei saw Kyle standing in the doorway, his face

deathly pale, his trembling hand gripping the doorframe. His eyes were

stricken as he stared at her, laughing in Jadeite's arms...

"Kyle!" Rei smoothed her skirt as Jadeite hurriedly put her

down, somehow managing a bright smile. "Hey! I didn't know you were

in..."

Jadeite, unaware of what had happened between the two, gave

Kyle a grin as he strode toward the door, sticking out his hand. "I'm

Jadeite, Lady Rei's--"

"--friend," Rei finished. "Jadeite, this is Kyle Kennedy, my

vice president."

Kyle managed a weak "Hi" as he shook Jadeite's hand, but the

pain in his eyes was unmistakable as he glanced at the two. _Reiko, _

_baka, you NEED to work on the timing!_ "Kyle, one sec..." Rei turned

to Jadeite, her smile apologetic. "I'm sorry, Jadeite. Can you wait

outside for a minute? Business..."

Jadeite nodded. "Of course." He gave Rei a quick kiss on the

cheek, then headed for the door, nodding politely to Kyle as he

brushed past him.

She turned to Kyle as soon as Jadeite was gone, wanting desperately

to explain the situation to him, but finding no words to do so. "Kyle--I

didn't know you were in today... How--how are you feeling?"

"Fine." Kyle bit down hard on his lip and turned away, handing

Rei the folder he had been clutching in his right hand. "Here." His

voice was a choked whisper, and he was dangerously close to tears.

"It--it's my resignation. I just stopped by to--to give you--"

He turned away hurriedly, unable to finish. "I--I'll see you

later. I—Brad's waiting for me."

"Kyle--I'm sorry--wait--"

"No..." Kyle's hands were shaking as he reached for the doorknob.

"I--I have to go," he whispered, then turned and nearly bolted from the room.

Rei stared after him long after the door had closed. _Kyle... _

_God, I'm sorry... I had to do it..._

_I didn't want to hurt you, Kyle, but the only way to keep that thing_

_from destroying the Earth is to keep Jadeite out of its clutches--and _

_that can only be guaranteed..._

_...if I wed him...._

----------

Rei and Jadeite were quietly married at Hikawa Jinja the next

morning, Setsuna Meiou the only witness to the ceremony.

A few hours later, Kyle Kennedy stopped by the pharmacy and

picked up a new prescription for painkillers, then proceeded to down

both thirty-count bottles with a pint of Bacardi.

And when Rei heard of his suicide attempt the next day, she

locked herself in her office for a long time, not speaking, staring

down blankly at the two small photographs on her desk:

In one, three-year-old Hino Rei stared up from her mother's

arms, eyes wide and wondering; twenty years later, the same girl

stood radiant in her wedding dress, her husband beside her...

_My mother and my lover, all lost forever..._ Her fingers

brushed the smooth glass, trying to bring back a trace of the

happiness frozen beneath the frames. _Who was it who told me I can't _

_cheat fate? I am Mars; Mars cannot be allowed to love; the Gods will _

_never let her..._

----------------------------------------------------------------------

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	6. Chapter Five: War

****************

Destiny, by Kristii

****************

Chapter Five... a long one, bear with me!! ^^;;

Apologies in advance if the attacks are from different seasons/dub 

/manga/whatever... I tried to focus more on the general tone of battle 

than on making sure every attack was called out perfectly... ^^;;;

comments -- aznvballgurl@yahoo.com

Sailor Mars and affiliated characters (c) Naoko Takeuchi

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                The days blurred into weeks, the weeks into months; reports of

mysterious murders were beginning to seep through Tokyo's streets. The 

Senshi stationed in Japan were investigating the attacks, but there 

was nothing for Rei to do save carry on the façade of her life, 

pretending that all was well when everything was falling to pieces... 

                Her work was becoming less and less meaningful with each 

passing day; she no longer had the energy or interest to negotiate for 

contracts, or attend the society gatherings where the biggest deals 

were often made. Her colleagues was puzzled, but said nothing; for their 

parts, they thought the girl was distracted by grief over Kyle's illness, not 

guessing that the two had separated already... 

                As for Jadeite, he knew nothing of Rei and Kyle's history. He 

saw his wife's sadness over a close friend and former colleague, no 

more--he never knew that, even as she curled up in his arms, she was 

trying to pretend he was another... 

                And so the façade went on, and Mercury uncovered the pattern 

of the Tokyo Killer, and the Senshi drew closer to their quarry...

                Then, on February 27th, the last battle erupted in downtown 

Tokyo. 

                                                      ----------

                "Mars! Heads up!"

                The first sight that greeted Rei upon her teleport into Tokyo 

was a rather large, glowing ball of energy, hurtling straight toward 

her face as she blinked, trying to orient herself to her surroundings. 

                "Holy SHIT!" Instinctively, Rei dropped into a Matrix pose, 

leaning backward with all her strength as the orb whizzed a few inches 

over her chest. Unlike Neo, however, Rei had yet to find the ability 

to manipulate the laws of gravity; off-balance, she fell heavily onto 

her back, just as a building exploded somewhere behind her. 

                "What the FUCK was that?" Rubbing her bruised back as she 

stood hurriedly, Rei called out to Mercury, just a few feet away. 

"Ami! What's this thing's weakness?" 

                "I don't--Mercury Bubbles Blast!--know!" Mercury let loose a 

stream of icy fog, trying to blind the huge creature towering before 

her. What once had been a pretty, vibrant woman had sprouted two extra 

heads, one of which was busy directing a stream of flames toward a 

running Sailor Jupiter, and three greenish tentacles; she had also, in 

the first ten minutes of the battle, suddenly quadrupled in height and 

girth, and had come down with a rather brownish, scaly case of what 

could have been acute acne. "We've only been here for--Venus, 

duck!--twenty minutes!"

                "I see--Mars Celestial Fire!" Rei sent a blast of flame toward 

a tentacle that was about to latch on to Sailor Venus, then shot 

another at the creature's original head. It hissed angrily, recoiling 

at the attack, and Rei caught the smell of roasting flesh as it turned

toward her. "Get behind this thing while--Mars Fireballs Charge!--I 

distract it!" 

                "Gotcha!" Mercury sprung to her right as a ball of dark energy 

came hurtling toward her. "Girls! Jadeite! Darien! Get your butts--"

                "Mars Fire Surround!" In the corner of her eye, Rei could see 

the group of Senshi rushing to position themselves behind the 

creature; too late, however, she realized that its three heads were 

all facing different directions-and were impossible to sneak up on. 

"Serena! MOVE!" 

                "EEEEEEP!" Sailor Moon squeaked and leapt to the side as a 

blast of dark fire narrowly missed her, nearly knocking Venus down in 

her quest for safety. "Moon Princess Halo!"

                The creature roared in fury as blast hit it, severing a 

tentacle and knocking it back into a nearby storefront; Rei heard the 

display of fine china inside shatter, and couldn't help a wry grin at 

the irony. "Mars Firebird!" The flaming blast met the creature's third 

head as it rose from the mess, and it snarled in rage and agony. 

                "Jupiter Thunder Dragon!" Makoto had appeared beside Mars, and 

the crackling bolt leapt from her fingers as she cried out the words. 

To both Senshi's surprise, however, the creature didn't wince at the 

blow--it seemed to smirk, almost, as it came eagerly toward the duo. 

"Uh-oh. Mars...!"

                "Venus Love Chain Encircle!" 

                "Jupiter!" Mercury cried out as she rushed toward the taller 

girl, her eyes worried. "Just duck, don't attack! This thing feeds on 

human life sources, but it can plug itself--Shine Aqua Illusion!--into 

an outlet for a quick fix!"

                "What?" 

                "Mars Fire Surround!" 

                "Stop! You're charging it every time you hit it!" 

                "Moon Tiara Frisbee!" A combined attack, courtesy of Sailors 

Moon and Venus, along with Jadeite, hurtled toward the creature; it 

ducked the spinning tiara, but lurched straight into the other two 

blasts. "Mars! Hit it fast!"

                Rei sent a firebird toward the creature; just at that moment, 

however, the head that had so far remained harmless suddenly spat a 

bolt of electricity at her. Caught off guard, Rei had just enough time 

to see Jadeite rush toward her as her firebird smashed into the 

creature's open mouth and forced itself down its throat; then, she was 

screaming as the dark charge met its target, and everything went 

black...

                                                     ----------

                "Rei-chan?"

                "Ugh..." Rei groggily opened one eye, winced, and closed it 

again. "Oh, God, I am SO hung-over..."

                "Rei-chan!" A pair of arms wrapped themselves around Rei; she 

opened her eyes again to two blonde pigtails--not exactly the first 

sight she had expected to greet her. "Oh, my God, Rei, you're not dead 

you're not dead you're not--"

                "What?" Gently pushing the gushing blonde off her, Rei managed 

to sit up, wincing as a bolt of pain shot up her side. It took her a 

few seconds to realize she was lying on a large piece of sign that had 

once pointed the way toward the Tokyo Expressway--and that everything 

around her seemed to be smoldering. "Oh, shit...Serena--the battle?"

                "It's over!" Serena pointed, and Rei's gaze followed her 

outstretched finger toward a bubbling lump of goo half a block away. 

The other scouts were standing a few feet away from the two, listening 

to Ami as she spoke quietly; all had de-transformed. "We figured out 

after it got you that we had to jam attacks down its throats. Once we 

got that, it was quick..." 

                "How are you feeling, Lady Rei?" Jadeite came up behind her, 

gently putting his arm around her shoulders. "That thing got you 

pretty hard back there. You okay?"

                "More or less." Rubbing her aching side, Rei stood gingerly, 

trying to get a sense of her body's condition. Nothing hurt enough to 

be broken, though there was a giant bruise down her entire right side 

and her left wrist was swollen. "God... how long was I out?"

                "Two hours? We just brought it down maybe fifteen minutes 

ago..." Jadeite was looking down at Rei, his eyes concerned. "Your 

wrist okay, Rei? It looks pretty bad... We should get you to a doctor, 

just to check you out, make sure you're okay-"

                Rei was about to reply, but even as her lips parted, she saw a 

movement in the corner of her eye. _Oh, shit, no..._ Instinctively, 

she whirled around, her arms shooting out before her to prepare for 

attack, but...

                Down the street, the bubbling mass had grown another head, and 

the biggest blast of dark energy she had ever seen was hurtling toward 

her--FAST.  

                And even as Rei called out her counter-strike, she knew 

instinctively that no blast of hers could push such a giant force 

back. _This is it, Hino Rei, you're going to die right about--_

                And then a flash of silver tore between her and the dark orb; 

there was a huge explosion, and Rei was thrown back into darkness as 

the raging firebird left her fingers... 

                                                     ----------

When Rei woke again, there was blood everywhere; her white fuku 

was soaked with crimson, and she could feel the warm stickiness covering 

her body. Ami, back in her own fuku, was bending over her, her face 

pale as she tried to mop Rei's bloody cheeks with a bit of blue 

cloth--she had torn the ribbons off her own uniform, Rei realized. 

"Ami? What--"

                "Oh, God, Rei... Rei..." Ami nearly dropped the bloody cloth 

as she heard Rei's words. "Oh, my God... You're okay?"

                "No worse than before..." Rei sat up, looking down with 

horror at her bloody fuku. "Ami--what happened? This--this isn't my 

blood. I'm not bleeding..." 

                Ami closed her eyes for a moment, and her lips quivered when 

she spoke. "Rei... I--I'm so sorry. We should have checked to make 

sure that thing was out for good before we de-transformed. We never 

should have let it have another shot at you, not when we were all 

standing right there..." 

                "I--you're not answering my question, Ami."

                Ami took a deep breath, looking away. "Rei, Jadeite saved you.

He--he--oh, God..." 

                She could not go on, but Rei instinctively sensed the rest of 

her sentence. "Oh, God... Where--where is he?"

                "No!" Ami grabbed Rei's arm as the girl stood, her face pale 

with worry. "Rei--don't look, please--don't look--"

                But it was too late--Rei was staring at the prone figure a 

few feet away, half-surrounded by pale-faced Senshi. For a few 

moments, she stood rooted to the ground, unable to tear her gaze away; 

then, she collapsed to her knees, and proceeded to be violently sick 

all over the dusty sidewalk. 

                _Oh, God... GOD!_ The image of her second husband, a gaping 

hole through his chest where pulverized lungs and shattered bits of 

ribs swam in a mess of bloody tissue, was seared in her mind. _Oh, _

_Jadeite... My God..._

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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	7. Chapter Six: Truth

---------------------------------

Destiny, by Kristii

---------------------------------

Chapter six: a bit short, but intense… enjoy!  

Thanks to everyone who's taken the time to review or drop me

a message about this story… I **REALLY** appreciate it!! ^^  If 

you have any more comments, write me: aznvballgurl@yahoo.com ^^

Sailor Mars and affiliated characters (c) Naoko Takeuchi

---------------------------------------------------------------------- 

On February 28th, the Senshi buried Jadeite at the same shrine 

where Rei had wed him; the priestess laid his body to rest under the 

cherry blossoms, a few feet from where her mother slept eternal. 

Then, with the world still reeling from the news of their 

unexpected battle, they set out to establish Crystal Tokyo...

---------- 

The Japanese Diet had been annihilated in the battle, and instead 

of using its ruins, the Senshi had set up their temporary headquarters 

in the top two floors of the Tokyo Marriott. The Presidential Suite 

was set aside for meetings with foreign heads of state and other dignitaries; 

Serenity and Endymion, as befitting their roles, had been settled in the 

Royal Suite of the penthouse.

The doors to the suite were slightly ajar as Rei approached, 

seeking the Queen's signature on the bill authorizing Her Majesty's 

Secret Service. As she placed her hand on the doorknob, about to 

enter, a sudden stream of voices flooded out of the room: 

"...cannot let her know! Do you understand that, Serenity?"

_Pluto? What is she doing here? _Rei froze with her hand on the 

door, confused; it was then that Serena's voice came floating out of 

the room, tinged with exasperation:

"She has a right to know, Setsuna!" The queen sounded angry, 

annoyed at Pluto's words. "Rei's one of us, Pluto--we don't need to 

classify things from her!"

_What?_ Rei was suddenly aware of the ominous sense of 

foreboding shooting through her body: her sixth sense was going crazy, 

screaming danger. _Something's wrong, Rei--terribly wrong..._

"We don't?" Pluto laughed softly. "How innocent you are, 

Serenity," she said quietly, "so generous with all these rights and 

privileges." Her voice changed suddenly, the almost wistful tone 

abruptly replaced by cold, hard ice. "Have you thought yet, Your 

Majesty, about the consequences of your generosity?"

"What--"

And suddenly, Rei knew, knew in the depths of her soul what 

the two were arguing. _Oh, God, no... NO!_

"Just how exactly do you propose we tell Rei?" Pluto's voice 

was harsh, almost angry; Rei had never heard her in such a state 

before. "Do you really think we can just pull her aside and smile and 

say, 'Hey, Rei-chan, remember the meeting we had that night at 

Serena's? Well, our security was compromised, and the enemy heard our 

plans and planted the seed of death inside your husband in a desperate 

ploy to keep you at his side?'"

"Pluto--"

"And how do you want to tell her that we deliberately allowed 

our meeting to be breached--that we had wanted the creature to know 

that we would not let it take Jadeite? How would you tell her that it 

was all part of our plan to shake the thing up, so it would panic and 

make stupid mistakes for us to take advantage of?" 

Pluto's voice softened again, tinged almost with sadness. 

"How, Serenity, do you plan to tell Rei that we used her as bait for 

the creature--but instead of attacking her as we had anticipated and 

mapped out battle plans for, it attacked her husband?

"How, Serenity, do you plan to tell her this all without 

turning her against Crystal Tokyo forever?"

There was a long, long silence; then, Pluto spoke again, her 

voice very soft. "There's no way, Serenity. You know it, I know it. 

You want to be honest with Rei, and I understand that. But, just as 

Pluto comes before Setsuna, Serenity must come before Serena--if that 

means deceiving Rei to keep Sailor Mars loyal to her Queen, well..."

"Pluto..." 

But Rei had already heard enough. Turning away from the door, 

she hurried blindly down the hall, the papers in her hand forgotten. _A lie._

_Crystal Tokyo was built on a lie, founded on a trap of deception. All this_

_time, I thought I was fighting for honor… but what did I really fight for, _

_Kyle –your death? _

----------

Two hours later, the Lady Mars approached Serenity very 

quietly, and asked for indefinite personal leave to America.

Serenity, after a moment's hesitation, granted her request.

Hino Rei's private plane took off from Tokyo half an hour 

later, bound for Dulles International...

---------------------------------------------------------------------- 

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	8. Chapter Seven: Love

----------------------

Destiny, by Kristii

----------------------

Chapter Seven ~ the longest chapter so far, as well as the most

difficult to write. I tried to make the scenes as plausible and realistic

as possible, and I hope they convey the emotions that I was trying

to embed within them… apologies in advance if things are a bit

too descriptive or too harsh =/ 

Comments? Write me ~ aznvballgurl@yahoo.com ^^

Sailor Mars and affiliated characters (c) Naoko Takeuchi   

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                After his suicide attempt, Kyle's doctors had allowed him to 

return home for his final days, accompanied by three round-the-clock nurses 

and an unlimited supply of morphine. His Potomac mansion was dark, 

however, as Rei pulled up in its long, circular driveway; she was stricken by 

an overwhelming sense of death as she let herself in the front door with a key 

from her married days, stepping softly into the grand open foyer. _Kyle and I _

_used to laugh in this house,_ she thought to herself, stunned at the change that 

had occurred in just a few short months. _We kissed here, loved here, smiled_

_ here – but now… it's so empty… _

                Quietly, almost afraid to disturb the smothering silence, Rei made 

her way up the sweeping staircase, down the wide hall she had once known 

so well. She stood outside Kyle's door for several minutes, trying to calm 

her nerves; then, taking a deep breath, Rei lifted her hand and rapped lightly 

on the closed double doors…

                 "Hello?" The doors pulled back a few minutes later; a dark-haired 

nurse stood before Rei, a clipboard in her hands. "Miss Hino? What a pleasant 

surprise!" She threw the door open and ushered Rei inside, smiling pleasantly. 

"How are you doing today?"

                 "Fine…" Rei was about to return the greeting when her eyes 

wandered past the nurse's shoulder; her words died suddenly on her lips as 

she caught sight of the patient behind her. "Oh… my god." Her hand went to 

her mouth involuntarily; she could not believe that the man before her was the 

same she had known just months before, so tall and strong and handsome. 

"Kyle… my God… my poor Kyle…" 

                A few feet before her, Kyle Kennedy lay motionless in a sea of 

white, his pale face the color of his bed sheets. His eyes were closed tightly,

his jaw clenching painfully with each tortured breath. His face was ashen, 

pitifully thin—from what Rei had heard, his six-foot-two frame now carried 

barely 90 pounds—and a half-dozen IV's were taped to the crook of his 

outstretched arm. Just a few days ago, Rei had never thought that she could see 

anything worse than Jadeite's broken body; now, staring down at Kyle's still 

figure, she suddenly wasn't so sure… 

                 "Miss Hino?" The nurse's hand was on Rei's shoulder, her eyes 

concerned as she took in the younger woman's sudden pallor. "Are you 

alright, miss?" 

                 "I—" Rei looked up at the nurse for a second, then turned 

toward Kyle again, staring down at his ashen face. "I'm fine…" She paused 

for a moment, then spoke shakily: "How—how's Kyle? Is—is he in pain? 

He looks terrible…"

                 "Hmm?" The nurse pursed her lips, glancing down at her patient 

for a moment before she answered. "It's been pretty hard for him," she said 

finally, her words carefully measured. "We give him as much morphine as 

we can, but… there are good days, and there are bad days. Today's been 

pretty rough…" 

                 "Oh…" Rei closed her eyes for a moment, trying to swallow 

the tears that were threatening to break loose. "I—should I just let him 

rest, then?" She asked softly, glancing down at the sleeping man. "I—I 

don't want to bother him—I can come back tomorrow, maybe—"

                 "Oh, no, Miss Hino," the nurse cut in quickly, smiling 

reassuringly at Rei. "Mr. Kennedy would be terribly upset to know that 

he missed you. He hasn't had visitors for quite some time now; I'm sure 

he'd like it if you could stay a while… unless, of course, you have 

another appointment?"

                 "I—" Rei let her eyes wander back to Kyle for a moment. _My _

_poor Kyle… _"No… I can stay."

                 "That's wonderful!" The nurse smiled at Rei, waving her toward 

a chair at the side of Kyle's bed. "Why don't you sit down, Miss Hino? It 

might be a little while before he wakes up, but it should be pretty soon."

                 "Thank you…" Rei sat down slowly, unable to take her eyes 

off Kyle's face. _What have we done to you, Kyle? _There were hard lines 

around his eyes and the corners of his lips – lines of pain, which had not 

been there just three months before. "How—how bad is the cancer now?" 

She asked softly. "Is it—worse?"

                 "I'm afraid so, yes." The nurse nodded, taking a seat beside 

Rei. "He can't eat or swallow anymore," she said quietly. "We tried a  

stomach pump, but he just threw everything up – he can't keep anything 

down for more than maybe twenty minutes – and it just got to be too 

hard on him." 

                "Oh…" Rei bit her lip, nodding weakly. "Has—has the cancer

spread, then?" 

                "Yes, Miss Hino." The nurse nodded again, her eyes sympathetic. 

"It's his lungs, mostly – the tumors spread there, and now they're putting

a lot of pressure on his heart and he's having a lot of difficulty breathing."  

She paused for a moment, then continued, her voice softer. "He did a lot of 

damage to himself with those painkillers too, you know. They wrecked his 

kidneys—we've put him on dialysis, but…"

                 "Oh god…" Rei looked down, blinking back tears. _That was_

_ my fault, don't you see? He was trying to dull the pain inside – but _

_all the medication in the world couldn't help him, just made everything _

_even worse. _"How—how much time do you think he has?"

                 "Not a lot, Miss Hino." The nurse replied. "I'm terribly 

sorry, Miss Hino… Perhaps a month?"

                 "Oh…" The words were like a blow; Rei closed her eyes 

for a moment, unable to comprehend the nurse's words. _In one month,_

_Kyle, I'll lose you forever…?_ "That—that's—"

                 "Rei…"

                Kyle stirred slightly, then, and Rei looked down hurriedly. 

"Kyle—" It took her a few moments to realize that the man had not 

opened his eyes. She turned toward the nurse in bewilderment, eyes 

wide with worry. "Miss – he's hurting – what should I…?"

                The nurse glanced down at her patient quickly, the shook 

her head. "Don't worry, Miss Hino; he's all right." She stepped to 

Kyle's side and bent down, placing her hand on his forehead. "Mr. 

Kennedy has been running a fever for the last few days," she explained 

quietly. "He won't say it normally, but… he's been begging for you, 

just begging. That's why I thought if might do him some good to see 

you today, maybe ease his mind a little bit, give him a nice surprise…" 

                 "Oh…" Rei nodded as the nurse straightened up, her mind 

whirling. _Kyle… you still beg for me, after everything I've done to _

_hurt you? _She stared down at her former husband, swallowing hard as 

he cried out again. "Shh…Kyle… my poor Kyle…" 

                A fine sheen of perspiration was breaking out on Kyle's 

brow; his features tightened, and his shallow breaths were becoming 

more labored. "Rei…" He moaned softly, his voice thick with agony, 

pleading with some unseen force to relieve his suffering. In that one 

instant, Rei understood why Pluto had insisted that she suspend all 

contact with Kyle while she was still with Jadeite – no one, not even 

the stern cold Time Senshi herself, could hear his whispered pleas 

without sharing in his anguish… 

                 "Shhh…" Gently, trying not to disturb the sleeping man, Rei 

leaned over and wiped Kyle's sweat-drenched brow. "It's okay, Kyle, it's 

okay…" His face was burning hot against her hand; she held her cool 

palm to his forehead for several minutes, trying to bring him some relief.

"Shh…" 

"Rei…" Kyle's face was still tight with pain, but his tortured 

breaths eased a bit, and he lapsed back into silence. Drawing her hand 

from his face, Rei took some clear gloss from her purse and dabbed 

some onto Kyle's dry, chapped lips; he caught her finger between them, 

and she let him hang on to it, lightly caressing his face with her free 

fingers… 

It was nearly ten when Rei finally rose, turning toward the 

nurse with one last glance at her former husband. "I should go, Miss." 

Her voice was very soft, laced with resigned disappointment. "Don't 

tell him I was here, please; it'll just upset him that he missed me. I'll 

try and stop by tomorrow, if I can…"

"Are you sure, Miss Hino?" The nurse looked up from the 

paperwork she had been tending to, her voice inquisitive. "Mr. 

Kennedy should be up any minute now. If you just wait a little longer –"

"No…" Rei shook her head slightly, straightening her skirt 

as she stood. "I—I'll just let him rest—he needs it." Nodding politely 

toward the nurse, she flung her purse over her shoulder and moved 

quietly toward the door. Her hand was on the doorknob when Kyle 

cried out sharply behind her; involuntarily, Rei looked back –

–and found herself staring into a pair of stunned, feverish 

blue eyes.

_Kyle…_

In that one moment, all words failed Rei; frozen in 

the doorway, she could not pull her eyes from Kyle's gaze. 

_Oh god, Kyle, please don't look at me like that… don't look _

_at me like you love me – I don't deserve it…_

"Rei…" Kyle tried to speak, but a sudden wave of pain 

tore through his body, clamping his jaw shut abruptly. "Wait…" 

He forced the word out through clenched teeth, then cried out in 

agony, a fit of violent coughs tearing through his body…

The nurse sprung into action, then, snatching a small 

basin off Kyle's dresser and rushing to his side. She was just in 

time – a moment later, Kyle's coughs turned to heaves, and he 

retched up a mess of bloody phlegm into the waiting basin. As Rei 

watched in horror, his coughs intensified; he choked up several more 

mouthfuls of dark blood, finally sinking with an exhausted moan 

into his pillows. 

_My god, Kyle… what have we done to you…?_

"Rei…" Gathering what remained of his strength, Kyle 

force his eyes open, trying desperately to focus on Rei's face. 

"Wait…" He was gasping for breath, his low moans laced with 

desperation. "Wait… stay…"

"Kyle—"

"Please!" His eyes wild with fever, Kyle tried to push 

himself up to a sitting position, but fell back a moment later, his 

body wracked with agony at the sudden movement. "Rei… please… 

don't go…"

"Mr. Kennedy!" The nurse was at Kyle's side, her hand 

on his brow as he struggled against her, fighting with all his strength 

to prop himself up. "Shh… Don't upset yourself, Mr. Kennedy," she 

murmured, trying to soothe her patient as she eased him back down   
onto his pillows. "Calm down; it's okay. Shh…"

"Rei…" Kyle wasn't listening, however; his eyes never 

left Rei as she stood frozen in the doorway, begging her not to step 

out into the hallway. "Wait…" His pale face went whiter with every 

word; even Rei could tell that he was verging on unconsciousness. 

"Please… Rei… wait…"

"Oh god…" Watching Kyle's tortured pleas, Rei suddenly 

felt something inside her cracking. She had prepared herself for his 

rage, steeled herself against a storm of furious curses and vitriol; 

this, however, was something that she had never expected. "Kyle…" 

Her trance broken, Rei hurried back to Kyle's side, unable to meet 

his imploring eyes. "What are you doing to yourself?" She asked 

softly, reaching impulsively for his right hand and giving it a gentle 

squeeze. "Don't hurt yourself like this, Kyle. Please? I'm not 

leaving, promise… just calm down. Don't do this to yourself, please…"

Kyle said nothing, his trembling fingers catching Rei's 

as she began to draw her hand from his. For several minutes, the 

nurse's soothing chatter and Kyle's soft whimpers were the only 

sounds in the room; he clung to Rei's hand desperately, his 

fingers tightening weakly as each wave of pain swept over him. 

"Rei…" It was nearly fifteen minutes before Kyle found 

his voice again. Wincing with effort, he turned his face toward Rei, 

trying to meet her gaze. "Hey…"

"Kyle?" Rei glanced up for a moment, then quickly looked 

away again, unable to look into Kyle's big, blue eyes. "How are 

you feeling?" she asked softly, unsure of what else to say. "A 

little better?"

"Yeah…" Kyle nodded slightly, forcing a small smile, 

but his lie was obvious; though the worst had passed, Kyle's face 

was still white with pain, and agony in his voice betrayed his 

reassuring words. "How… are you?"

"I—" _I haven't had a good day since I left you. _"All right, 

I guess." 

"That's… good…" Kyle nodded weakly, a ghost of a smile 

brushing his lips. "I'm…glad…" He paused for a moment, struggling 

to form the painful words. "You… happy…with your… husband?"

"I—" Rei couldn't help smiling a bit at the fiercely protective 

glint in Kyle's eyes. _If I told him no, he would probably hunt Jadeite _

_down with a gun and kill him for it– cancer be damned. Except… _

_Jadeite is already dead… _"There was an accident," she said finally, 

her words carefully measured and neutral. "Jadeite—he died…"

"Rei…" Kyle looked stunned; the surprise in his eyes quickly 

changed to concern, however, as he saw the look on Rei's face. "I'm… 

sorry…" Her hand was still in his, and he gave it a weak squeeze, trying 

to comfort the girl. "I…didn't know…"

"I know… it's okay." 

There was an awkward silence for a few seconds, and then 

Rei spoke again, remembering the purpose of her visit. "Kyle… I have 

something to ask you," she said quietly, trying to find the best way to 

phrase her words. "I know it seems random, but have you heard anything 

about what's happening in Tokyo?"

"Some…" Kyle looked up at Rei, confused at the sudden change 

in topic, but she did not lift her eyes to meet his. "…why?"

"It's very important, Kyle." Rei took a deep breath, then spoke 

hurriedly, her voice very soft. "The news--they've kept some things from 

the public, Kyle. Important things." _Fuck you and your secrecy, Pluto. I _

_will not let Kyle go to his grave without knowing what happened! _"I know 

it doesn't seem like the time for these things, Kyle, but let me tell you 

a story:"

"One thousand years ago, there was a great queen named 

Serenity, who headed a group of powerful rulers under a pact called 

the Great Alliance..."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Like it? Hate it? comments -- aznvballgurl@yahoo.com


	9. Chapter Eight: Penance

**Destiny, by Kristii**

Getting closer to the end... not sure where I should take this. I started this story as a tragedy to show the difficulties of reconciling Mars and Rei, but I've started tofeel for the characters and really want Rei and Kyle to make it through somehow. What do you guys think?

Sailor Mars and affiliated characters (c) Naoko Takeuchi

* * *

It took Rei a good two hours to explain the Silver Millennium,  
the battle that had destroyed her, her subsequent arrival on Earth,  
her rebirth as Hino Rei... She told Kyle of the past, of the generals'  
betrayal, of how Pluto had foreseen the future—and how Kyle Kennedy,  
unwittingly wed to Mars, had become caught up in the struggle for Tokyo. 

"...and so I wed Jadeite," Rei said softly. "That's what my fuku  
cost me, Kyle—it was my duty, as Mars, to protect my princess, no matter  
what the cost to myself..." She paused for a moment, looking away. "...or  
to you.

"I'm sorry..."

For a long, long moment, no one spoke; even the nurse, who had  
been listening raptly to Rei's tale for the past hour, was too stunned  
for words. Finally, Kyle broke the uneasy silence, his voice shaky:  
"Rei... that's... real?"

"Too real." Rei finally looked up, meeting Kyle's startled  
blue eyes with her own. "I'm sorry, Kyle. I don't expect you to  
forgive me. What I did to you was too much—WAY—too much."  
She closed her eyes for a moment, her face very pale. "I know  
it doesn't mean much now, but for what it's worth..." The words stuck  
in her throat, refusing to be uttered. _Hino Rei has never spoken  
these words before, Kyle. Hino Rei does not trust men enough to bare  
her soul like this... _"You're the only man I've ever loved, Kyle.  
Ever. I didn't want to hurt you like this—really..."

And then, her façade finally shattered by truth, Hino Rei  
broke down—the first time, since the death of her mother. "I'm sorry,  
Kyle... I'm so sorry..." The tears, pent up for months, finally came;  
she buried her face in her hands, no longer able to face the man  
before her. "I'm sorry..."

"Rei..." Kyle was stunned by Rei's tears—and the words that  
preceded them. "Rei... don't cry..." Slowly, gritting his teeth  
against the pain, he raised his hand to Rei's face, brushing away her  
tears. _Rei... don't do this... It's worse than the pain, worse than  
anything, to see you crying like this..._ "Please...?"

At his words, however, Rei only sobbed harder. Desperately,  
Kyle glanced at the nurse, hoping the older woman could offer  
assistance; she, however, seemed even more at a loss than he did.  
"Rei... Shh..."

"I—I'm sorry." Rei finally looked up after a few minutes,  
managing a weak smile through her tears. "I—I just" She swallowed  
hard, swiping at her watery eyes. "Kyle—how can you still be so _nice_  
to me!"

"Rei..." Kyle looked incredulous, as if he couldn't believe  
what Rei was asking; his eyes softened quickly, however, as he looked  
at the girl beside him, and a faint smile touched his lips. "Reiko...  
I... love you... Don't... you know...?"

"I—" Rei was very still for a long moment. "Kyle..." She had  
finally stopped crying, but she suddenly seemed on the verge of tears  
again. "Kyle—after all this? After I've been such a bitch to you and  
hurt you so badly, you—you can still love me? You can't be..."

She trailed off as she glanced down at Kyle; the look in his  
eyes said everything. Rei stared into those big, blue eyes for a long  
time, stunned by the depth of emotion she found there. _He means it,  
Rei... he means it... He still loves you, after everything you've put  
him through; he still loves you, after all this shit…_

"You know..." Her voice was very soft when she finally spoke  
again, slightly dazed. "I never believe all those stories about  
unconditional love they used to tell you. I—I never thought I could  
ever meet someone like you, someone who meant it..."

"Silly…" Despite himself, Kyle couldn't help laughing at Rei's  
words. "Shh," he started, but broke off suddenly as a thought struck  
him. Drawing his hand from Rei's, he began reaching for his pillow,  
gritting his teeth as he forced his arm through each inch of space. "Rei…"  
He tried to lift his head from the pillow, but it took all his strength to just  
look up for a few moments. "Something… for you," he whispered weakly.  
"Under… pillow… I can't…"

"I'll get it," Rei said quickly. Supporting Kyle's head with her  
left hand, she reached under the pillow with her right and closed her fingers  
around a folded cloth. "Is this it, Kyle?" She laid his head back against the  
pillow and held up the bundle, recognizing a silk handkerchief from her  
own personal stash. "This is for me?"

Kyle nodded, too exhausted to speak, and Rei slowly unfolded the  
layers of silk; she gasped involuntarily at the sight that greeted her. A platinum  
band lay between the folds of shimmering cream silk, a diamond sparkling up  
at her. "This—" her glance went from the ring to Kyle's face, turned expectantly  
up toward her. "This—my wedding ring…"

"Yeah…" Kyle nodded weakly, closing his eyes as he tried  
to calm the sudden wave of fear creeping up in his heart. "Do… do you still…  
want…?" He managed, half-hoping and half-fearful of her answer.

"I—" Rei stammered, too flustered to speak; Kyle's heart sunk as he  
watched her flounder for words, the cloud of despair that had plagued his  
heart for the last few months returning with twice the strength it had had before.  
"Please," he whispered, unable to look at Rei as he tried to hold back  
his tears. "Please... I need... need you... so much..."

"Kyle… _Kyle_!" And then, just as Kyle was about to give up  
hope completely, Rei's arms were around him. "I've wanted this ever since  
I left," she sobbed, pressing her face tightly to his. "I never wanted to  
be Mars, Kyle. I just wanted to be your Reiko. I just wanted us to be  
together; I didn't want things to go so badly…"

For one stunned moment, all words failed Kyle; the sensation  
of Rei's arms tight around his neck was something he had never dreamed  
he could ever feel again. "Rei..." Slowly, he raised his own arm and  
weakly pulled the girl in closer. "Rei... God... Rei..."

They stayed there for a long time, arms around each other,  
both wishing the moment could last to eternity.

* * *

Like it? Hate it? tell me: 


	10. Chapter Nine: Destiny

------------------------------

Destiny, by Kristii

------------------------------

The last chapter… finally!! I know I've wandered a bit

from my Mars vs. Rei theme, but I've finally gotten back to it; 

what do you think?? 

Comments? Write me ~ aznvballgurl@yahoo.com ^^

Sailor Mars and affiliated characters (c) Naoko Takeuchi

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rei never left Kyle's side those last few weeks, talking softly 

to him and raising his spirits when he was stronger, holding his hand and 

wiping his brow when the pain overwhelmed him...

The good days disappeared quickly, however, as the end 

approached. Even the heaviest morphine could not dull his pain; Kyle 

spent his days in agony, unable to sleep or eat, too exhausted to even 

moan...

Finally, on April 10th, Kyle Kennedy slipped into a coma, his 

wasted body no longer able to withstand the brutal pain. Five days 

later, as dawn approached, his heart quietly stopped beating... 

The funeral was held two days later, on Rei's 26th birthday.

      ----------

The entire royal court of Crystal Tokyo, felines included, was 

present at the ceremony. They watched in silence as the priest recited 

the solemn rites of burial; as various friends and colleagues gave 

brief speeches of their memories with Kyle Kennedy; as Hino Rei, her 

eyes dry, left a single white lily on his casket before disappearing 

into the sea of mourners...

They found her, finally, at the gravesite, staring down at the 

clean marble marker. "Rei?" Serena asked softly, putting her hand on 

the taller girl's shoulder. "Rei... are you okay?"

"Get out." Rei shook off Serena's hand, not turning. "You have 

no right to be here…" 

"Rei--"

"Who do you think you're talking to?" Darien cut in sharply, 

very annoyed. "Let me remind you that you're speaking to Crystal 

Tokyo's new que--"

"Shut up, Darien." Rei's back was rigid; her voice soft but 

laced with so much fury that even Pluto recoiled. "All of you... what 

did he matter to you? You never saw him as more than a statistic--one 

more bit of collateral damage in your precious little power trip.

                "You never had to see him cry, Serena. You never had to sit

and watch him fight just to breathe, never had to hold him as he coughed

his own lungs up." The rage in her voice gave way for a moment, replaced

by heartache. "You never had to hear the man you love plead for love, for

death, for mercy… 

"I have…and I watched him die."  

She was silent for a moment, and the edge in her voice intensified.

"Where were your sympathies when he needed them, Serena? Where were 

they, when _I_ needed them? Don't come here now and tell me you're sorry—

there was a time for being sorry, but it's over..."

"Rei--"

"I said it once already, Serena. Get out." There was no 

mistaking the rage in Rei's voice now; every Senshi could feel the 

anger emanating from her body. "I don't give a fuck if you're Queen 

now, I promise you--if you ever come here again, I will see that you 

die a death as painful as his..."

Darien was seething, about to knock Rei out; Pluto, however, 

stepped before him suddenly. "Listen to her," she said softly, her 

voice commanding. "Return to Tokyo... I will bring Mars, later."

Serena started to protest, but the look on Pluto's face was 

enough to persuade her otherwise. Glancing almost fearfully at Rei's 

still figure, she turned and slowly began trudging away, Darien at her 

side, the others trailing her…

And as the Senshi retreated, Pluto turned toward the girl, her 

voice gentle. "Rei?"

"No..." The girl turned suddenly, her eyes dry, her face 

perfectly composed and emotionless. "Rei is gone now, Pluto."

She continued, her voice very low, so eerily calm even Pluto 

was disconcerted. "Hino Rei died with her husband, Pluto.

"I am Mars, only Mars...

"...nothing more..." 

---------------------------------------------------------------------- 

That's all, guys… hope you enjoyed!! 

3 3 Kristii, 03.27.03

aznvballgurl@yahoo.com


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